Graceling (Graceling Realm Book 1)

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She was too much like a dumb, confused rabbit caught in a trap, and suddenly Katsa was standing. And Po was standing, too, and he had Katsa by the arm. Second of all, she's a dumb, confused rabbit? That's so wrong, the author is shaming this girl with this description. It should be really fucking clear for everyone, there is nothing wrong if you are attacked and do not know how to fight back. And it is definitely, absolutely, not your fault. To suggest otherwise is called victim blaming. Then there's Helda and the dress. If all of that doesn't prove what I've already mentioned, I don't know what does.

There is a point in the book where Katsa teaches Bitterblue how to fight and she says: Then there's the fact that these strong girls always have to take care of children. It doesn't make these books bad it's just really "normal" for female characters to play motherly roles. This is clearly a trend, and it gets my attention because it's something YA male characters don't usually face. And on top of that this book was boring and slow. If you are a die hard fan of this book, then don't bother reading my review, but if you hated this book as much as I did, feel free to join in on the rage that has become my opinion of this book.

To start it off, I'm just gonna tell you how I felt about the book. At the start, the concept of every body having a grace, was just absolutely awesome, I couldn't wait to start this book. The first couple of pages were action packed Though structured very poorly and sentences just made If you are a die hard fan of this book, then don't bother reading my review, but if you hated this book as much as I did, feel free to join in on the rage that has become my opinion of this book. The first couple of pages were action packed Though structured very poorly and sentences just made no sense e.

For starters, saying "turning when it was time to turn" is a bit redundant, what was the point in saying that. You could've just that she had to keep turning at the right spots or she'll get lost, not turning when it was time to turn. It just feels weird. And the second one. If it was flickering orange, it wouldn't be darkness, now would it!

Anyway, back to what I was saying, though the first couple of pages were pretty good, it was not executed very well, and then all of a sudden when you enter chapter 2, the excitment dies down or, you know, gets shot in the side of the head with a shotgun and isn't seen for a very long time if at all. I only got to Chapter 18 of this book. You want to know why? Absolutely nothing happened, that enthralled me, made me want to complete this book.

All you get to see for the next 17 chapters is a bitchy antagonist that hates the very idea of being a girl, thinks that every single person who is married is an incompetent fool, and that she hates blindly following her leader Who she has the power to overthrow. Honestly, if she hated her life that much, can't she just kill herself? Seriously, get it over and done with, so that way we don't have to listen to your stupid, bitchy, self-concerned, infuriating opinions!

My pet dog saw that Po and Giddion were in love with her. Oh wait, I don't have a pet dog. I am really hating Katsa at this point, just because of her general personality. She is the worst heroine I have ever had the misfortune to read about. I most likely will never bother to pick it up again, it was so bad. I know when I love a book, because when I do, I don't want to put it down, and I finish it in about a week depending on how long it is. This book I had been reading for about three weeks and was only up to chapter So at this point, I give up.

This book is so uninteresting, that I just can't be bothered. None of the characters managed to seem real to me; the author jumped back into the main character's past and had to tell me how old she was each time, but she seemed no more mature at sixteen than she did at eight. The main villain seemed like he answered a call from central casting and got the part because he had an especially villainous beard; I assume the beard is also his motivation for villainy. I'm not really sure what the do-gooders motivation is for do-gooderery, since I don't think any of them even have beards.

The entire plot is motivated by people doing the obvious, except that somehow it's not obvious to the characters until someone points it out. Sometimes this is lampshaded by Katsa being canonically bad at people. I liked parts of the setup, with some people having special mutant abilities, here called 'graces' and the mutants called "gracelings" but I couldn't identify with any of the characters enough to care, and gave up on the book when I realized I'd rather do a load of laundry. Finished with this one, full review, no real spoilers.

I'm only on page 27, and I've already been jarred out of the story and am annoyed with the author. We have a scene where the heroine goes to their Secret Meeting Place in the forest and finds her two compatriots asleep, not having set a watch. She wakes them up and chastises them for not setting a watch, and knows that they are thinking she is being too harsh. What's my problem with this scene? My problem is that these compatriots are not, say, a farmer and a librarian. No, one of them is the captain of the guard and royal spymaster.

NO ONE who was competent enough to attain that position would ever be stupid enough to not set a guard. And if by some remote chance he was so exhausted that he fell asleep, he certainly would not think that someone was being too hard on him by pointing out this error! Ways not to write a strong heroine Don't try to make the heroine look more competent by making the people who surround her incompetent. That's not a strong character, that's an ordinary character surrounded by dumb people who tell her how clever she is.

It wasn't awful, it just utterly, utterly failed to keep my interest. Her prose was adequate barely , if poorly edited, but she would have needed brilliant prose to compensate for the characters and plot. Not that as much plot as I managed to get through was really bad, but just rather generic; it might have been sufficient if the characters had been interesting. And the characters were where this book really failed. I picked this book up because I'd seen it recommended multiple places as having really good characters, not to mention an incredibly intense love story that was based on friendship, not passion.

Well, sign me up! The only character who showed any signs of an actual personality was the girl's maid, and she certainly wasn't enough to make me slog through the remaining pages. As for truly emotional love story - well, that's hard to carry off when you can't make people care about the characters in the first place. I could see where she was trying for a love story, but it didn't feel natural at all - more like she was moving puppets to a script.

Katsa and Po came across as bundles of character traits that were not bound together by any true motivating influence. Have the people who reviewed this never read a really good love story, the kind where just a glance between two people can make your chest ache? As for being a "strong female character" - Katsa's just another one of the cookie-cutter so-called SFCs that unfortunately riddle YA fantasy of late. Yes, it's nice to see females have more to do than wave hankies at tournaments, but for goodness' sakes - the female fighter was original enough to gain the title SFC when Alanna did it, but not anymore.

Where are the genuinely strong females? And I'm sorry, but if one of your main plot points is that your character is a born fighter, you really should research actual fighting styles instead of just going off vague recollections of what you saw on "Buffy the Vampire Slayer"; all the fight scenes were very generic "spinning and kicking".

I fact, the whole book reminded me of nothing more than the teenage roleplayers I used to play with - same sort of characters probably fun to write if you're emotionally invested, but dead boring to read , same recycled-plotting ability, same lack-of-grasp of real-world logic and research. I probably I would have liked this better as a teen, but right now?

I gave it pages as a fair shot, but it's just not worth finishing. Have you ever wished there was a flashing sign above a book before you picked it up? Something truthful you could rely on, "Read this!! Human nature likes to know thouogh why they should avoid something, and so I wil lay out my reasons and you can take it or leave it as you like.

You should also know that I didn't finish this book. I made the mistake once of reading on when I s Have you ever wished there was a flashing sign above a book before you picked it up? I made the mistake once of reading on when I shouldn't have - a scene neraly identical to this- and I regret it thoroughly to this day.

If that takes away from what I am going to say, so be it. In theory, Graceling has a good plot. In a fantasy land of seven kingdoms, some people are born with a gift, or Grace. The Grace shows itself in the child's eyes, eyes two different colors.


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It also affects the person in some way, some Graced are unbelievably good at dancing, or perhaps sewing, or swimming. Or any number of imaginable things, with eyes anything from black and blue to yellow and brown. Katsa is one of these Graced, with one blue eye and one green, but her gift is the gift of killing.

The neice of a king, she is used as a punisher to do his dirty work. Almost everyone fears her and very few people can be counted her friends, though she has founded the "Council", banding together those who would fight against the tyranny of the various selfish kings. Her life is suddenly thrown upside down when another Gifted, Prince Po, enters her life. Gifted with fighting, they make the perfect team as they set out to try and discover a kidnapper In several ways, this book had many pros. A strong main character, good twists, a unique plot. The Cons Unfortunetely, the book doesn't follow such a path.

While trying to give away as little information as possible because I do not want to hide this as a spoiler there are certain things you should know going into the book. Things I wish I had known, because I would have avoided it then. Po and Katsa get into a very physical relationship. One truly wonderful reviewer of this book pointed out that though they claim to love eachother, they really don't, because if they did, they would have respected eachother.

Instead, in the 'modern', 'no bounderies' mindset that the culture shoves down the throat of so many, when Katsa decides she dosen't want to get married but still wants to embrace her love for Po, they decide to become lovers. And so they become such, right smack in the middle of the book. Some readers myself included might find the use of birth control equally obnoxious. Amusingly, it just occured to me that there was a "sign" flashing over this book. My library's "Teen Reading List. If such moral conduct doesn't affect you, then I suppose there really is little else I can say.

I know one well meaning person once told me that if I wasn't willing to put up with stuff like that, I was going to miss out on many good novels. Well, so be it. I refuse to finish this book and I would strongly encourage those of my goodread friends to avoid it. This message is especially for my little sister.

If you follow the pattern of the book, the supposed "answers" just aren't enough. Even pretending that Po and Katsa 's "love" lasted through their lives, there would always be heartbreak in their relationship. Katsa is a mess, mentally and emotionally. Just because a guy is willing to become her lover doesn't mean anything is fixed. Po will have to live with Katsa continually running off, because run off she will.

Whenever someone put any pressure on her, she would be unable to deal with it and run off in search of 'herself'. Perhaps that is the true theme behind it then, that real healing can't be found in a fantasy world because only true Love can bring it, and this This book was so intriguing until I reached the conclusion. I thought for sure it was going to be a book about a girl who was confident about what she wanted from life but then had an intense experience that changed her worldview. To put it simply, all that happened, but the main character didn't change her mind about her convictions, which honestly to me seemed completely against the whole idea of a character arc.

What is the point of making up a character of she doesn't grow and change through This book was so intriguing until I reached the conclusion. What is the point of making up a character of she doesn't grow and change throughout the story? The author is quite obviously an unwavering feminist, and much of the book is barely masked propaganda about how one doesn't need marriage or children to reach her potential or happiness. And that is certainly true, but it leaves the rest of us with husbands and children looking a bit like chumps, and I find that highly offensive.

What's funny to me is that Katsa, the main character, is steadfast in her conviction that she doesn't need a man. And that's great, until she meets one, and then she decides having a lover is pretty great too. And she's right about that! But, even though he makes her completely and unabashedly gooey inside, she'll never marry him because that would mean she's turning down the potential for other partners and opportunities. If you love someone, what's wrong with committing yourself to them?

What's wrong with dying to self and loving and respecting one person for the rest of your life? What's so great about having 3 or 5 or 10 romantic partners you never commit to? Sorry, but I think the author might not have any idea what a marriage based on mutual respect actually entails. Aside from that, the world building in this book was a little too heavy handed. And it is not YA fantasy. It's adult fantasy with a highly feminist bent and a YA stamp on the cover that will pollute the minds of uneducated females. I don't think that I'm the kind of person who can't enjoy a story unless the characters lives and values somewhat emulate my own, but this story pushed it for me.

I thoroughly enjoyed the first half of this book- the idea is interesting and the characters are complex, but then the love story took a weird turn and the plot started meandering. The thing that really set me into enduring the rest of the book as opposed to finishing it or even relishing it was the main character's objections to Ugh. The thing that really set me into enduring the rest of the book as opposed to finishing it or even relishing it was the main character's objections to marriage.

It is a hot-button issue to me, and the author posed the idea of marriage exactly as many in the world today see it- as a non-necessity, as something that strips both people of their freedoms and their selves. The idea that the main character and her love interest would consent knowingly to becoming lovers as the alternative to becoming man and wife is pretty repulsive to me.

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I liked the whole graced idea I really, really liked parts of this book. The premise of Graces is new and full of juicy possibilities. The character interactions are human, stellar. The writing style is infatuating and gorgeous. Katsa's attitude toward her grace is nuanced--she is proud of and ashamed of herself at the same time--and it kept me thinking long after how I, and many young adult readers, could relate. I loved Po couldn't help myself.

But I had serious problems with other parts. The pacing, as so many have menti I really, really liked parts of this book. The pacing, as so many have mentioned, was uneven. If you read fantasy for the travel sequences, as I suspect many must--why are there so many otherwise?

I just wanted things to happen again. That wasn't the only pacing problem, though. New characters would be introduced and developed with loving detail for one chapter, maybe two, then dropped off the face of the plot. I don't mind a rich world, not in the least, but some of those interactions really could have been shortened, especially if you are trying to keep the plot building to a climax.

And speaking of the climax The climax at the book's end seems to be building a conflict that is intense, mind-bending, cataclysmic And just when you start to get really excited about what the heroes will have to do, and think they're backed into a corner, it ends suddenly. Not only there, but in other places as well, the tension built spectacularly only to fall rather limp.

And that leads me to the romance. I suppose I have no reason to dislike the sex other than moral concerns that some would call prudish, and that's fine. I still don't like it. But let me try to explain my prudishness: I actually think that Katsa's decision not to marry works for her character.

And I can respect that; I prefer a protagonist who doesn't make all the decisions I would make. It makes them real, human. Katsa says it would change her irrevocably to marry well, she is right, but so will all her other life decisions. What is love, exactly? I think Katsa doesn't know. Is it a hook-up with no commitment? They definitely hook up, and they say they don't want commitment. Here's what Katsa says to her love interest at the end of the novel: I told him I'm not going to marry you and hang on to you like a barnacle, just to keep you to myself and stop you loving anyone else.

We KNOW they're not going to be interested in other people. The subtext is, "How romantic. They don't need a formal commitment to stay committed. I think Katsa and her love interest's lack of wanting to commit "works" in the context of her story, though I don't enjoy it.

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But let's be clear: The only reason we find Katsa's love story romantic is that it is exclusive. If it weren't, the romance would die.

Review: Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore – The Lit Bitch

But though loving each other with no promises works for these two, in this book, it will probably not work in real life, and I think it's dangerous to romanticize it thus. If only it worked without unscrupulous people taking advantage of the people who really believe in its ideals. But there will always be unscrupulous people, and perhaps that is why romantic commitment wants so badly to be formalized. So that's what it comes down to. I stuck with Katsa through plodding pacing, through unnecessary secondary character development, through a climax that was more of an anticlimax Good for you, Katsa, but don't call me a barnacle.

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Given the good premise and the high ratings, I was prepared to enjoy it. But I'm afraid I didn't, not at all. The book is not awful, but I did not particularly like anything about it, and I really could not see what the hype was all about. The plot is mostly boring. The book starts very slowly, and in the first part nothing important happens: The second and third par Yeah, I know The second and third parts are more eventful, but they still have many slow and, in my opinion, unnecessary parts.

In the end, I could not get invested in the plot, also because I was totally indifferent to the characters: Katsa Katje in italian - why?! Leck is the only character I found remotely intriguing, but he was too little present and his motivations were too little explored. As for the setting and world building, they did not impress me very much. The are vague and not very remarkable or creative, even if the idea behind the Graceling and their gifts is kind of cool. Believe me, no one is more disappointed than me that I did not like this book!

It might be just me, so if you are interested go ahead and try it. However, I do think that this novel is a little overestimated Ich konnte keinerlei Verbindung zu einem der Charaktere aufbauen. Katsa ist einfach nur naiv und dumm. Der Schreibstil ist langatmig und langweilig. As is the case with real abuse, of course, not all of the damage can be mitigated. I hope I've helped you decide whether or not these books are for you.

Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. I looked at this book several times before actually reading it and I am SO glad I finally did! Katsa is a wonderful main character. She is a graceling, meaning that she is graced with special abilities like many other characters in this fantasy world. Katsa is able to kill anyone with her bare hands and is a skilled fighter. I absolutely adored Katsa. Everything about Katsa is intense.

Her fighting, her relationships and her sheer will to survive and persevere through some impossible situations. And Po, I loved Po! The romance was absolutely adorable. Po softens Katsa, and yet he understands and respects her. The story itself was exciting. A lot of great fight scenes and dramatic rescues. Much of the story revolves around Katsa uncovering the treachery of her kingdom.

There was also a twist towards the end that I was not expecting! While I adored all the characters and their relationships, the world-building and story line of this book is really where it shines. It was so well thought out and complete for being a stand alone novel Bitterblue and Fire are companion novels but the stories are different. Highly recommend this read. One of my favorite fantasy novels. I enjoyed this fantasy book despite not particularly connecting with the main character.

Katsa can be harsh and unrelatable, but the plot of the book is interesting. Katsa has a fighting grace, which her King has her use to intimidate and harm people. Despite hating it, she never fights against it and accepts her position as a killer. She is a fighter and strong enough that no one should be able to command her. Her freedom and her choices should be her own, but she allows herself to be manipulated for a long time.

Po, on the other hand, was very likable. He is intelligent, a revered fighter and kind. The world building was decent and I hope that it is expanded in future books, as this is not a standalone. There are seven kingdoms and I would not be able to detail customs, names or climate of many of them. The pacing was steady throughout, but some scene changes and plot progressions seemed to jump forward when the plot would have been better served if they were expanded upon.

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Would you like to report poor quality or formatting in this book? I'm all for girl power and females don't need a guy to be fulfilled. I even understand that at that point in Katsa's life she had just claimed her freedom and could not imagine entering any other station of life that would in any way limit or curtail her personal liberty.

All well and fine. But then she goes ahead and enters into a physical relationship with a guy because she "loves" him, but just can't ever be "married" to him because that would limit her sense of self and her own freedom to come and go as she pleased. Granted, the concept of marriage within the confines of that secondary world might differ, it could be a total abnegation of self, but I never got that sense when they talked about marriages in their society. In fact, at its core, marriage in our world is a contract of personal commitment between two people, but Katsa, while perhaps legitimately shunning marriage in her world, still has no desire to ever commit to Po in any way.

So it would seem that Katsa's issues had way more to do with herself and her own flaws and insecurities than the idea of commitment or even Po. Given his affection for her, he would never have limited her freedom. But flip the coin. Where he was the one who would take whatever Katsa had to offer, but did not care enough to actually make any sort of commitment to her? That likely would not go over as well. It is strange what a double standard we have in relationships, esp.

We praise novels that show females as strong, independent individuals, even if that means they are also selfish and controlling, while we quite rightly condemn that sort of behavior in male protagonists. But then not only are we giving a sad view of a "strong" woman, as if that is the only way to portray a vibrant and intelligent female, we are also touting a weak and ineffective masculine image that indicates that no male can be resourceful or a leader or else he is preventing the girl from being who she ought to be free to be When we did we stop striving for an ideal where both men and women complimented each other, each being allowed their own strengths, and being equals rather than always rivals and competitors?

So, again, a talented new author, but I have deep reservations about some of the messages in this book and I doubt I will recommend it to many people. Which is a shame considering the quality of the rest of the story, which is easily three stars for the prose, though the plot had a few spots that seemed out of place. Mar 26, Kat Kennedy rated it really liked it Shelves: Graceling by Kristin Cashore follows in a burgeoning market for strong female characters. Katsa is much like Katniss from The Hunger Games in her naive perception of the world, her coldness and tendency towards pragmatic practicality.

She is similar to Xhex from the Black Dagger Brotherhood in her disgust of all things "feminine". The story is well written, with engaging, fun characters. Katsa is fun to read about. The plot may be a little predictable at times but it did throw me a curve ball tow Graceling by Kristin Cashore follows in a burgeoning market for strong female characters. The plot may be a little predictable at times but it did throw me a curve ball toward the end.

The romance is lovely between Katsa and Po. I take exception though, to the message that this book sends. It is the same message I am reading over and over again in current literature. From Bella Swan who looks down on girls who like shopping, to Xhex who must be wrestled into a dress and who sees all signs of emotion as feminine weakness and now Katsa who refuses to marry or have children and who despises dresses and long hair. It is not nice dresses and pretty hair and an ability to be weepy on occasion that is the cause for the many inequality issues that women face.

Putting a woman in pants does not change how the world perceives her. It doesn't suddenly make her stronger and better than the woman in the dress who likes jewelery! Your character does not suddenly become the beacon of the feminist movement because she doesn't like dresses. So sick of reading about "strong, independent female characters" who don't like dresses and spend most of the novel putting down almost every other female character as weak and pathetic. View all comments.

Aug 18, Krystle rated it did not like it. What is with the awkward sentence structures and prose in this book? That made absolutely no sense. And it's not with the light of a torch, but light from a torch. That whole sentence is just full of awkward phrasing and clunky description. It just does not get any better. And later on, she pulls her hood down over her eyes. How do you expect to fight if you can't see where the heck you're going or what you're doing. But the biggest offense of the book was the main character. I thought Bella was tops in annoying meter ranking , but Katsa wins the prize.

During the book there were many instances where I wished I could rip her hair out and run her through with her own sword. So much so that she can go for days without sleeping even though they were in some pretty gruesome and difficult battles And the list goes on. I mean what can Ms. And don't give me that crap about how it's logical because of her special grace. There's a special balance between believable and ridiculous, and I'm sorry, but this is way over into the ridiculous area.

But yet, every situation she finds unappealing to her, the first though that comes to mind is violence. Hits him so hard he falls off his chair and has a wicked bruise. And not only that, her characterization is inconsistent. What the hell kind of crap is this? And what is her utter revulsion to marriage?

I was absolutely disgusted, disgusted , by the way she treated her horses. She treats them as a way to serve her own self-satisfying needs without care. The first instance that stuck me was when Po and Katsa were riding off somewhere and she slammed her horse against Po's because she wanted to get his attention.

Not only is that dangerous to the rider because they could fall off, but it's dangerous to the horse! Slamming into another horse while you're riding is NOT something you do. The horse could have fallen because the impact threw him off balance, and you're obviously not going to walk away from that injury free, or it could have tripped and then fallen. Not to mention she ALWAYS pushes her horses to ride fast because she has no patience and wants to get there faster, and if someone tells her they needed to rest the horses or they'll break them, she just throws hissy fits about how they have to hurry and they're just slowing her down.

Horses are not machines, good god! They're living, breathing animals that need care just like we do! The next one was near the end of the book where she pushed everyone so hard, and rode for hours at a blistering gallop just so they could reach their destination faster. And then I clearly remember someone, Skye, I believe it was telling her that she lamed a horse.

Review: Graceling (Graceling Realm #1) by Kristin Cashore

I almost threw the book across the room in rage. The place names were very uncreative. The structure was all the same. Katsa went and did this, did that, felt this, and so on and so forth. Another problem was the insane amounts of info-dumping in the beginning.

I can see why a lot of people love this book. Avoid this book like the plague. I may probably be stoned to death for this review because every where I go it seems to be so well loved and praised with glowing reviews. View all 88 comments. First thing I need to point out is that I consider myself a feminist, even as far as to take an active role is such matters. Previously, I have written articles on Feministing and I honestly think so many of these issues are still very important in today's world. However you look at it, the battle for equality has not been won and has, in fact, become rather dormant.

On that note, I love reading fiction by feminist writers, Atwood never fails to deliver and The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favou First thing I need to point out is that I consider myself a feminist, even as far as to take an active role is such matters. On that note, I love reading fiction by feminist writers, Atwood never fails to deliver and The Handmaid's Tale is one of my favourite books of all time. The point of me saying this is that when I heard Graceling called 'feminist propaganda', rather than being repelled, I was intrigued.

I love modern stories with strong heroines who can stand up for themselves and don't need to wait for prince charming to swoop in and save them. Katsa fit this in many ways, true, but I have so many issues with the feminist ideals in this novel that I don't know where to begin. I am constantly faced with the irritating irony of radical feminists. The irony being that their favourite passtime is telling women what to do. Real feminism as in the one that actually cares about women is about choice, not about having to follow strict guidelines in order to banish the image of feminity. It's people like Kristin Cashore who make the term 'feminism' seem like a dirty word.

Being strong and capable of making your own decisions is one thing I wear dresses, I wear make-up, I like to make the effort to look nice For me, the main mistake that Cashore makes is to assume that anything 'girly' is bad. It's an ongoing debate about women and feminism. For example, take the stereotype that women are more emotional and are therefore more weak than men. Is this wrong and women are not more emotional?

Or does what's wrong lie in the idea that emotions are a weakness because they are a feminine trait? Radical feminism continues to try and spit on traditional aspects of what it means to be feminine. Of course, it is arguable that the idea of 'feminine' is created through socialisation e. Margaret Atwood understood the dangers of radicalism and wrote the novel to go with it. In the same way that extreme socialism becomes the mirror of totalitarianism, radical feminism begins to mirror sexism. And that's why I had issues with a great deal of Graceling. Po was a sweetheart and an all-round likeable character.

And, don't get me wrong, I never really disliked Katsa because the fact that she refuses to wear a dress and doesn't want children is entirely her choice and that's what's important. I liked her strength and at many times I felt her frustration I completely agree with the idea that the girls should have been taught self-defence and self-sufficiency. The whole backdrop of magical kingdoms and whatnot was alright. It fit nicely around the main characters but I found the love story to hold most of my attention and that's why I've decided that I don't want to read Fire.

The reviews of it tell me that romance comes far behind the whole fantasy aspect and I still have Tolkien nightmares. Yeah so, not a bad story but so many things disagreed with what I stand for. View all 39 comments. Apr 17, Penny rated it it was ok Shelves: I happen to like books which feature kick-ass feminist heroines and are light on the romance so I should like this book, right? Yeah, but I don't. First of all, Katsa acts like a petulant little girl throughout the entire book, not some strong feminist poster woman. Katsa shows very little, if any, personal growth over the course of this novel.

Also, I felt like the author spent too much time trying to sell us on the following ideas: Look, I understand that some women feel that way, and I'm completely cool with it. I'd be lying if I claimed that I've never thought some of the same things during my lifetime. That said, I hate how the author seems to be shoving very specific views down my throat instead of telling me a story that challenges me to think for myself.

This book is written in such a way that it makes me think Cashore, the author, is using her character, her story as a vehicle to voice her very strong opinions. Don't get me wrong, I don't necessarily have a problem with that sort of thing, it's just that this book is being touted as 'feminist' but I fail to see true feminism within the pages of this book. I mean, I guess you could consider it a version of feminism, but it's not very inclusionary.

In fact, it's a very bigoted version of feminism. Other than Katsa every other woman in this book is portrayed as weak and dumb. So basically unless you're an angry, dress-hating, man-hating woman with an aversion to commitment there is something wrong with you. I'm sorry but it is possible for independent, intelligent and stable women to embrace femininity without losing credibility. And anyway, isn't that the point of the feminist movement? Gaining equality without having to act like 'one of the guys'?

I mean, sure, you can reject femininity if you want, but don't go around assuming that those who are feminine are pathetic weakling losers who do nothing to help the cause. It just so turns out that line of thought is backward and does nothing to advance the cause. Also, Katsa's view of other women in the realm is quite condescending in that she never seems to consider how privileged she is compared to some of these other women.

Katsa's lucky in that she has the ability to kill pretty much anyone she wants so it's not like she has to do a damn thing anyone tells her to do. Despite all the crap she supposedly has to put up with, Katsa has benefitted from an education and she's also afforded more freedoms than most women because someone else pays her bills.

She doesn't have to milk the cows or churn butter or become a serving wench. She doesn't have to prostitute herself out in order to make ends meet. Girlfriend needs to shut the hell up about all that because it's not like she's doing anything other than making a-hole observations. Katsa's not doing anything to change the way all women in the realm are treated, which is fine, it's her life, whatever. She just needs to quit it with the judgmental attitude toward others who can't afford to live or think the way she does.

I could have handled Katsa's aversion to having a relationship with Poe if she hadn't had any feelings for him, or if she knew she wasn't emotionally ready to make any sort of commitment. But no, Katsa's aversion to commitment was built up do be some great personal strength of hers. In the end it just felt like she 'she' being Katsa. I'm not a barnacle. I don't need a man So Poe, my lover, sorry you lost your sight and all but I'll prolly be drunk-dialing you in the future, cause I am comfortable with my sexuality. Strength can only be had by loners who don't like to commit because doing so will supposedly lower their self-worth Also, it has to be said: Some people just don't know how to write a love scene.

James Cameron and Kristin Cashore are among that group. All he did was voice his opinion, that's it. Had the tables been turned, had Po hit Katsa for voicing her opinion, you people would be unbelievably angry. I'm sure some of you would be burning Cashore in effigy. Let's do a little more of this whole turning tables thing. Pretend that Katsa is actually a male character and Po is female. Okay, how much do you love this new topsy-turvy version of Graceling? Not very much, you say? Yeah, I thought so. If you ask me Katsa is one of the least deserving protagonists.

She's a violent, judgmental a-hole who shows little to no personal growth over the course of this entire book. I don't care if she had a difficult childhood, having a difficult childhood doesn't mean you have to go around inflicting the worst parts of yourself on others. Having a difficult childhood doesn't give you license to be an awful person. Two stars because the concept was cool. Too bad it was poorly executed. View all 31 comments.

Feb 13, Rhea rated it it was ok Shelves: What I think about when I hear the name Great, at least its not Yellowing Grandemalion or Purpling Grandemalion or something stupid like that. That would sound really weird, unlike Greening Grandemalion, which is a name someone would normally give to their child. If you have any more suggestions about what the names from Graceling sound like, feel free to put it in the comments!

Next up is the review, which is very thorough about the issues of Graceling's worldbuilding. This is going to take a while, but stay with me. I think enough has been said about that, so for detailed reviews about that issue, I recommend Amanda's review and Tatiana's review. However, this isn't Graceling's only flaw. The other big problem is the black-and-white world-building.

World of Graceling Graceling is set in a european-ish medieval land with horses, taverns, kings, castles, and anything else you would except to find in such a place. The land is divided into seven kingdoms: Lienid the island kingdom , Monsea a kingdom closed off by the mountains , Middluns the middle kingdom , and Nander, Estill, Sunder, Wester, which surround Middluns on the North, East, South, and West side, respectively. See what Cashore did there? Another aspect is the Graced; some people are born with special abilities called "Graces" such as mind-reading, excellent swimming skills, killing, etc.

There is great prejudice against the Graced except in Lienid and one can tell if another person is Graced if the person's eyes are mismatched colors. One of my friends has eyes like this. It's a condition called heterochromia iridum. But sadly, my friend has no superpowers. I think we can all agree that European medieval worlds are definitely overdone; nearly every epic fantasy or high fantasy is set in one!

However, authors can still make them fresh if they add complexity to them with new aspects or intriguing history. There is a well-developed and unique culture in the world, stemming from the struggles between Clan and Wizards, and the history is complex and believable. Another example is The Well Between the Worlds. It is a retelling of the King Arthur tale, set in a medieval world, but adds the elements of the Wells, the sinking of Lyonnesse, and industrialization to make a breathtakingly fresh and original world.

So, what's the matter with Graceling's world? The idea of the Graced 2. But there's got to be more! Tell me, is there Like references to why the kingdoms are how they are, etc? Anything that separates the world of Graceling from other fantasies? I'm sorry, but there is, other than the Graced, nothing original here. Okay, okay, we get it! But sometimes, generic fantasy worlds are complex. There are complex issues, complex characters, and complex motivations which make up for the lack of originality. In fact, a world lacking new ideas sometimes portrays old ideas in a new light!

Is there any complexity? Lack of complexity in Graceling Part One: What does he do? He even view spoiler [killed his own wife! Does he feel the slightest guilt or remorse? Does he have a good reason for this? Yes, so he can be even more powerful! Except for King Ror, who is good. They are always squabbling over borders and killing poor peasants and stuff. How horrible of them! And one of them even view spoiler [held a poor old guy prisoner, just so he could be rich!

They just don't understand what it's like! Now that I think about it, all of Katsa's friends are either Graced or have a family member who is Graced or are Lienid. The only exception is Oll. He is so condescending! And he doesn't understand Katsa! And he's so stupid, he thinks he can protect her! Even when she can kick his ass! This portrayal bugs me, because it feels like a gimmick to show how good Katsa is, and how she deserves a good man in her life, and blah blah blah.

But wait, she is really good! She created an organization called The Council, which does nice stuff! She is so angelic! Admittedly, Cashore did give her a few personality flaws, but not enough. I mean, when you can kill and entire army without even a sword, wouldn't you be extremely selfish and extremely spoiled? I admit, I would be. He still loves Katsa even if view spoiler [she won't marry him. They are so nice to the Graced! They respect them 'n stuff. They are brave, noble, etc. No one is ever a mixture of good and evil. The World Itself The world of Graceling lacks nuance.

When you look at the history of Europe, there are ancient alliances, complex relations, etc. Not to mention, the citizens of each country see themselves in one way and see people from other countries in other way. There are stereotypes, symbols, legends, and histories that may or may not be real. And not just in Europe, everywhere. I was expecting well-developed relations between the kingdoms and between normal people and Graced people.

I mean, Katsa and Po have to travel across many countries and I wanted to see them struggle against prejudices and stereotypes. However, they had had it extremely easy. Here is the extent to which all the relationships were developed: For no apparent reason All you see is a strong dislike, no complex feelings. For example, being in awe of their powers, yet feeling jealous - Kingdoms fight over borders. That is pretty much it. Their only dislike comes from border squabbles. Anyways, reading Graceling was an underwhelming experience.

I mean, the first time I read it, I was in middle school, and even then I was disappointed! Many people loved this book. You might too, if you: Love a good kick-ass heroine 2. Are looking for a fun adventure 3. Want lots of action in your fantasy 4. Love reading about kind, noble men in love with misfit girls But you might not if you: Are looking for a deep exploration of feminist ideas 2. Require complex, original world-building 3.

Need complex characters 4. Want a complex plot Final Comment: Graceling isn't a bad book. For me it was 2. Also, other than the overwrought feminism, Graceling doesn't have any big flaws that might insult the reader and completely ruin the reading experience. Did it become something else? Speaking of that, there were some great ideas concerning what it means to be a monster.

All of this made Graceling an OK book. However, Graceling feels like an edited draft - there are good ideas, good editing, but nothing is really fleshed out. Let's hope in future books, Cashore spends more time on her story. Book 1 The Demon King is mostly a set-up book, with fantastic world-building, but familiar and somewhat cliche characters. Book 2 The Exiled Queen is great; the characters deepen, and the plot thickens. Book 3 The Gray Wolf Throne is absolutely stunning; intricate plotlines come perfectly together, characterization is amazing, and the tension is almost unbearable.

There is also an exciting mystery with more than one twist , and just the tiniest dash of romance. Plus, as a bonus, the prose is lovely. I admit, I have not read them yet, but book 1 won the Newberry Honor medal, and many "picky" reviewers say they are fantastic.

And isn't it said that a good children's book can be enjoyed by adults as well? Anyways, I hope this review helps anyone thinking about whether or not they should read Graceling. Those of you not familiar with the Teletubbies theme song, this might seem weird. But I hope you can sympathize with my frustration with the Graceling names.

So, here is a parody: View all 51 comments. Oct 03, karen rated it really liked it Shelves: View all 89 comments. Watch my review here: View all 16 comments. Okay, so this was a re-read on audio and I thought it was really cool with the multiple narrators and music and stuff. But sometimes one of the voices rubbed me the wrong way and the music went from fantasy to what sounded like western music.

Maybe it was just me! She is an awesome inspiration for women warriors in a book. She kicks arse and takes names. I love the fact that she doesn't care anything about marriage or having kids. Sh Okay, so this was a re-read on audio and I thought it was really cool with the multiple narrators and music and stuff. She's like my hero. I need a tshirt!!! I wish I had her Grace: The characters in the book are so wonderful, even the evil jerks are played out very well.

I was so happy when Katsa met Po! Are they made for each other or what?! I don't like what happened to Po though: Katsa isn't like normal women, well that's obvious, but she doesn't care about any of the every day things women care about. She even hates her long hair because it's in her way of doing what she's trying to do: Katsa is Randa's mercenary and her, Oll and Giddon go out to do his bidding, although it's Katsa that dishes out the pain.

After some time she starts to get tired of doing this to people. You will have to read the book to see where that goes. Giddon is a good person, he just doesn't really understand Katsa and wants too much. I enjoyed all of the fighting and sparring between Po and Katsa. I loved when she was in a real fight too: Not very many, but they were the best. Then again, most people would walk or run away when they saw her coming anyway. She's that bad and scary! Did I mention Katsa has some cool eyes!

A lot of the Gracelings have different eyes from everyone else, but Katsa has some beautiful ones. I am so glad I finally got to read this book, it is sooooo awesome! View all 40 comments. When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? So fun fact, this is probably one of my most reread books of all time, and it was such a big influence on both what I write and what I love to read, and I love and appreciate it more every time.

This book opens with a scene in which Katsa, a character graced with the skill to kill people - literally, actually murder them - pu When a monster stopped behaving like a monster, did it stop being a monster? This book opens with a scene in which Katsa, a character graced with the skill to kill people - literally, actually murder them - putting a group of guards out cold rather than killing them in order to spare their lives while trying to rescue a falsely imprisoned old man. I've always said that strong character work is the best way to make a book memorable, and Cashore absolutely nails this down.

Katsa's character arc is next-level brilliant and honestly, it might be why I still read for characters. She goes from thinking of herself as a killer, a monster, a weapon, to thinking of herself as a justice-seeker. She's so realistically drawn, driven by emotion, and lovable. Some of you may know that I'm a bit picky around romance plots, but Katsa and Po? Yeah, I don't have a single complaint here.

Katsa and Po don't have ANY instalove going on. And they have some truly iconic banter. Po is also a genuinely good guy, rather than being a Tough Scary Bad Dude, and he's a dynamic character on his own. Basically, he's the only guy I could ever consider a book boyfriend. It'll be refreshing to have you come at me with a knife.

Bitterblue is an entertaining and dynamic character, and in fact, she gets her own book later on. Po, Raffin, and Giddon are all incredibly vivid characters [and they all get more later]. It's kind of incredible how human all of these characters are, how they never feel like plot devices. The worldbuilding of this series is super good, first of all, and I love how the graces are a neutral element - both good and bad, depending on their use.

I have literally read this book, what, over twenty times? And I have still never felt bored.